


Worth Saving

by 1millionclouds



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Processing Trauma, Sort Of, not really awkward theyre just both hot messes, talking about feelings, there might be an epilogue, these guys are fucked up dude
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23088019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1millionclouds/pseuds/1millionclouds
Summary: While finishing up breakfast one morning very soon after they save the world, Galo helps Lio process some SHIT.  They end up processing more than just trauma tho.  (shalalala askjdnciunuwf kiss the boooooyyyyy)
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	Worth Saving

**Author's Note:**

> so i've written a lot of shit before but never posted anything until now bc my roommate was like *palpatine voice* "do it" so i did it. 
> 
> so i watched promare and it's my favorite thing atm (my interests are either pokemon or whatever i most recently fell in love with so) and lio fotia is a mood and a half and im in love with galo ANYWAY
> 
> i wanted to help myself process the ending and the question of "what ARE they, even," so this is an attempt to get to that conclusion. I did write about some stuff that came in between the ending of the movie and the beginning of this story, but i think it's better without. idk let me know if you want more stuff on this situaaaation
> 
> basically the context is that they're resting at ignis' house (why? because i love ignis and he seems like a suburban dude to me and if he is then his house wouldn't be at ground zero lmao) for a few days while everyone who didn't almost die does actual clean-up of the city. like ignis would totally be like "here are my keys go take a FUCKING nap and PLEASE shower." u know he would.

“Look, I don’t want to sound like a Breaking Benjamin song, but it made me feel like a—a monster. Like I was some sort of beast. I mean,” Lio put his face in his palm and gave a wry laugh, “I could shoot fire from my fingertips! What about that is normal?” 

Galo took the time to sip his juice so he could give it a couple seconds of real thought before offering, “depends on your definition of normal, I think.” 

Lio snorted, expressing just how valuable that sentiment was to him. You’re no help. “My point is. Why is it that now, when I’m just a normal human, do I feel so—so,” his voice caught, and he swallowed. “So broken?” He shoved a mouthful of bacon into his mouth, presumably to keep from crying. 

Galo turned to face him. He couldn’t imagine that Lio was broken in any way in his current state; he had seen him truly broken, on death’s door, his body crumbling into ash. The Lio currently in front of him was whole and healthy, so far away from the Lio that Galo had breathed life back into. 

Galo opened his mouth to communicate this, but closed it immediately after. Somehow reminding Lio of that moment didn’t seem like a good idea. 

“I haven’t felt like myself since the Promare left, not really.” Lio said around the mouthful of bacon. 

“The way I see it, you have to feel like yourself, because that’s the only person you can feel like,” Galo said. 

“It feels wrong,” Lio objected. 

“Not wrong, just different. You’re normal now, even if you were a different kind of normal before.” 

“That makes no sense. If I was normal then and I am still normal now, then...then normal has no meaning, Galo.” 

Galo brightened. “Exactly!” 

Lio paused. “...What.” 

“It’s a big change in your life, right? Like...moving to a different country across the globe, or going to college.” 

“I’ve never done either of those things,” Lio said flatly. 

Galo nodded thoughtfully. “Right, right. That’s why it’s such a big deal for you.” He suddenly pointed at Lio, making direct eye contact. “You’re grieving.” 

Lio returned Galo’s stare in full force, his eyes watering. “Shit,” he choked out. 

Galo watched a tear spill over and he slid his chair up against Lio’s. “Aw, c’mere, you sad little man,” he said, leaning over and pulling Lio into his chest. Lio stiffened and whined petulantly but made no other protest. 

“Everything’s cold all the time and I feel so out of control,” Lio said wretchedly. “I was the leader of the Mad Burnish--I was the strongest of us! But what does that matter now?” 

“It put you in the position to save the world with me,” Galo suggested. “Maybe nobody but you could do it.” 

“It was all so much, oh my god,” Lio went on. “The circumstances made us, like, super close in one night.” 

“That’s trauma,” Galo said. 

“...You saved my life.”

Galo once again thought of Lio as he had laid dying and crumbling. “Sure did.” He held Lio a little tighter, and they sat like that for a little while. Galo felt Lio relax against him, his head on his shoulder, a small puddle gradually soaking through Galo’s shirt where Lio’s cheek was. 

After a minute, Lio wriggled out of Galo’s hold and stood up. “I...have a lot to think about.” 

Galo looked at him with worry. “Talk it through with me?” 

“I...I don’t know.” Lio began pacing rather than walking away. “You know, this might have been easier if you hadn’t saved me.” 

Galo stood up. “Don’t say that!” 

Lio looked at him through red, slitted eyes. 

“I...I wanted to save you. Not only that, it’s my duty!” The memory of Lio’s dragon-shaped flare blazing through the city came to mind. The tears of flame flowing behind it. “You were suffering. I haven’t known you when you weren’t. But somehow, I feel like there’s something more for you.” 

“So you get to judge whether or not I get to wake up and suffer?” 

“No!” Galo put his face in his hands and took a breath. “What I mean is, is that I couldn’t watch you turn to dust without...I mean…” he sighed helplessly. 

“Listen!” Lio shook his hands, frustrated. “Galo, ugh, you idiot! My point is! Do you realize what this means? What you’ve done?” 

Galo opened his mouth, but Lio interrupted him. 

“I can never repay you!” 

“Repay me? But why would you--?”

Lio sat back down, his head in his hands. 

“Lio. Lio,” Galo put a hand on his shoulder, and Lio emerged somewhat. “I save people. It’s what I do. Just another day in the life,” he said. 

“That day was in no way ‘just another day.’” Lio mumbled. 

“No, it wasn’t. But I rescued you because I could. That’s all. You were dying, and I could do something about it, so I did.” 

“You make it sound so mediocre.” 

Galo’s temper flared. “Why can’t you just thank me and move on? I’m not going to hold it over your head or anything. What kind of guy do you think I am, anyway? The most important rescue of my life, and you give me this much shit for it?” 

Lio raised his head. “Most important? What are you talking about?”

Galo pressed a finger into Lio’s chest. “You, dumbass! You’re a goddamn hero and you could have died! I didn’t save your life just so you could be sad about it!” Galo withdrew for a second, taking a breath. “I want to see you happy,” he said more quietly. “Was it selfish to save you for that reason?” 

Lio’s eyes were wide. “You can save me for whatever reason you want,” he blurted out. 

“That’s what I thought!” Galo exclaimed. “Wait.” 

“Wait, I mean.” 

“No, you said it, not me!” 

“Damnit, Galo!” 

Galo leaned in, suddenly interested. “Tell me what that means.” 

Lio gave him a pained look, his face red. “Figure it out yourself, dumbass!” 

“‘Whatever reason I want?’ Clearly I don’t want you to die because I like you! And I think you deserve a good life and maybe I want to be in it!” 

Lio threw his hands up. “Why didn’t you just say so?” 

“What, like that would make it automatically better?”

“It would have helped to know, yeah! I clearly like you too, of course I don’t want you to regret saving my life!” 

“Lio. Oh my god,” Galo pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t just be okay with being alive if it’s only for other people.”

Lio crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever, Mister Day-In-The-Life.” 

Galo’s jaw dropped. 

“Look, maybe I’m okay with being alive because it means you get what you want out of it. But you don’t get to stand there and pretend like you aren’t also ignoring your own needs for the sake of others!” Lio’s glare was impossible to meet. Defeated, Galo looked away and sat down. 

“We need a therapist up in here,” he groaned. 

“We--hmm,” Lio said. “Did we just say that we liked each other?”

Galo felt his face heat up. He hadn’t thought of that. “What, like, like-like? 

Lio shrugged. “Any kind of like,” he said, trying and failing to sound casual. 

Galo suddenly became very aware of how close he was to Lio; they were staring at each other, waiting for an answer to descend from the sky, mere inches apart. “Well. How about--you know when I gave you mouth-to-mouth?”

“Yeah, that’s what we were just talking about,” Lio informed him. 

“Right. Well, do you...wish that happened under better circumstances?”

Lio tipped his head to the side “What do you mean?” 

Galo damn near whined in frustration. He was just going to have to do it, wasn’t he? Lio knew what he was doing to him, there’s no way he didn’t. “I mean…” Galo jerked his hand forward to place his hand under Lio’s chin. Lio’s eyes flew wide open, but he didn’t stiffen; he wasn’t panicking. Galo tipped Lio’s head back ever so slightly and gave him a couple seconds to pull away. No reaction--Galo ducked down and went for it. 

Lio’s lips were unresponsive at first, but after they both got over the initial shock of the contact, Galo felt a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. He made a small noise of surprise, but was so pleased at Lio’s clear response that he had to stop kissing him to smile. 

“No, wait,” Lio said, trying to pull him closer. “That was nice.” 

“I know it was nice, I was there,” Galo said, giddy. 

“Yeah, I know.” Lio leaned closer. 

“We still have to talk about why you’re only okay with me saving your life if--”

“Galo,” Lio said, “shut up.” 

Galo shut up and nodded. “Shutting up now.” 

“Also. Kiss me.” 

Galo leaned in. “Yep, on it,” and he kissed him.


End file.
